Lead Story
Separate mass shootings kill at least 27 in South African townships
Gunmen carried out two unrelated mass shootings within hours of each other on September 27, first storming a bar west of Johannesburg where eight assailants armed with assault rifles killed 17 people and wounded 15 more before torching two vehicles and fleeing, then striking an entertainment venue in a township outside Cape Town early Sunday, killing 10 and wounding 11. Police say the motives remain unknown; the attacks cap a week in which mass shootings across three major South African cities killed nearly 40 people, intensifying alarm in a country that already has one of the world's highest homicide rates.
Read more →Lead Story
Separate mass shootings kill at least 27 in South African townships
Gunmen carried out two unrelated mass shootings within hours of each other on September 27, first storming a bar west of Johannesburg where eight assailants armed with assault rifles killed 17 people and wounded 15 more before torching two vehicles and fleeing, then striking an entertainment venue in a township outside Cape Town early Sunday, killing 10 and wounding 11. Police say the motives remain unknown; the attacks cap a week in which mass shootings across three major South African cities killed nearly 40 people, intensifying alarm in a country that already has one of the world's highest homicide rates.
Venezuelans rally for Machado's return as Delcy Rodriguez government courts Washington
Thousands rallied in Los Teques on September 27 demanding the safe return of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado and new presidential elections, nearly a year after Maduro's disputed re-election claim triggered a crackdown that forced Machado into hiding and then exile. Since US special forces removed Maduro from his Caracas home in January, the country has been run by his ally Delcy Rodriguez, who has opened Venezuela's oil sector to foreign investment and worked closely with the Trump administration, while Machado remains unable to return.
Read more →Venezuelans rally for Machado's return as Delcy Rodriguez government courts Washington
Thousands rallied in Los Teques on September 27 demanding the safe return of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado and new presidential elections, nearly a year after Maduro's disputed re-election claim triggered a crackdown that forced Machado into hiding and then exile. Since US special forces removed Maduro from his Caracas home in January, the country has been run by his ally Delcy Rodriguez, who has opened Venezuela's oil sector to foreign investment and worked closely with the Trump administration, while Machado remains unable to return.
Gaza death toll passes 74,000 as US-brokered ceasefire stays largely stalled
Gaza's Health Ministry said September 27 that the Palestinian death toll since the war began has surpassed 74,000, with 1,145 people killed since last October's ceasefire took effect, as Israeli strikes continue in what the military describes as responses to threats. Separate strikes this week killed two Hamas operatives in Nuseirat and Khan Younis, while seven Israeli soldiers have died since the truce began and most other elements of the US-brokered deal remain stalled.
Read more →Gaza death toll passes 74,000 as US-brokered ceasefire stays largely stalled
Gaza's Health Ministry said September 27 that the Palestinian death toll since the war began has surpassed 74,000, with 1,145 people killed since last October's ceasefire took effect, as Israeli strikes continue in what the military describes as responses to threats. Separate strikes this week killed two Hamas operatives in Nuseirat and Khan Younis, while seven Israeli soldiers have died since the truce began and most other elements of the US-brokered deal remain stalled.
Large-scale fighting reignites in Ethiopia's Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions
A rebel coalition calling itself the Ethiopian People's Forces Alliance for Survival launched a major offensive on September 22-23 against federal forces across Tigray, Amhara and Afar, seizing three government-controlled airports in the largest escalation since the 2020-2022 Tigray war that killed an estimated 600,000 people. Human Rights Watch has called for civilian protections as the fighting, which follows months of rising tension including drone strikes on Mekelle, raises fears that the 2022 peace deal ending the earlier war could collapse entirely.
Read more →Large-scale fighting reignites in Ethiopia's Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions
A rebel coalition calling itself the Ethiopian People's Forces Alliance for Survival launched a major offensive on September 22-23 against federal forces across Tigray, Amhara and Afar, seizing three government-controlled airports in the largest escalation since the 2020-2022 Tigray war that killed an estimated 600,000 people. Human Rights Watch has called for civilian protections as the fighting, which follows months of rising tension including drone strikes on Mekelle, raises fears that the 2022 peace deal ending the earlier war could collapse entirely.
Trump and Xi extend trade truce after cordial White House summit
Xi Jinping made his first visit to the White House in 11 years for a two-day state visit that ran September 23-25, meeting Trump for roughly three hours of talks that touched on trade, artificial intelligence and the Iran war before a state dinner. The two leaders extended their existing trade truce and exchanged conciliatory gestures, including acknowledging the possibility of cooperating to contain AI risks, though analysts noted the historic summit was relatively light on substance given the scale of tensions between the world's two largest economies.
Read more →Trump and Xi extend trade truce after cordial White House summit
Xi Jinping made his first visit to the White House in 11 years for a two-day state visit that ran September 23-25, meeting Trump for roughly three hours of talks that touched on trade, artificial intelligence and the Iran war before a state dinner. The two leaders extended their existing trade truce and exchanged conciliatory gestures, including acknowledging the possibility of cooperating to contain AI risks, though analysts noted the historic summit was relatively light on substance given the scale of tensions between the world's two largest economies.